Monday, August 22, 2011

I'm leaving on a jet plane! Hello Utah!!

Well the time has come....and it can't come soon enough haha.  I was looking through all of the pictures that I have taken this summer and I decided that it is a gross misrepresentation of how it's actually been.  I hardly have any pictures of the rain.  I guess that I only liked to take pictures of the sunny days, which happen only about 1/4 of the time.  For example, it has been 10 days since I've seen the sun and it has been POURING rain.

Looking through my pictures has made me very grateful for the experiences that I've had in these past 4 months.  Being here has truly been a blessing and I've learned a lot about myself.  I've learned that it is possible to live without a cell phone, without a car, and without a grocery store.  I've learned that even though I strongly dislike animals, whales and porcupines are pretty cool.  I've learned that I really must have a testimony of the Church if I'm willing to bike 20 miles in the rain to get there every Sunday.  I've learned that it's more important to be with those I love than to be off having adventures by myself.

I can't wait to see everybody when I get home in 2 days!  Give me a call :)  Here are a few last pictures (sunny ones) to remind me of the good times here in Glacier Bay.

I'm turning into an Alaskan!

Fun at the tide pools

Eating a whole crab for my birthday dinner with Jen

In nursery with my favorite little guy

Sunset from my office

CUTE porcupine climbing a tree

Monday, August 8, 2011

Greetings from Gustavus

So I realize that I've been a slacker and I think it's just the result of the mid-season grind.  It happens every time!  I've been here long enough that things aren't as new and exciting as they once were and life becomes a little more normal.  Work has been great and I'm still really enjoying my job.  The weather is still cold and rainy most of the time (when's summer going to get here?!) and so I find myself spending a lot of time indoors.  That is weird for me but the rain is putting me into a little bit of seasonal depression haha.  Oh Utah how I love you.

I've had some neat experiences during these past few weeks though and I continue to be grateful for the opportunity that I've had to be here.  On the 17th of last month I got the opportunity to ride along with the US Coast Guard on one of their cutters.  It was AWESOME!  I was a little out-numbered guys to girls but it was fun to see how they live and work on the ship and we had a great day out on the water.

Some of the Coasties.  They were having an "ugly mustache" contest that week haha
On the 22nd my boyfriend John came to visit!  That was definitely the highlight of the summer and we had SO MUCH FUN!!  We got to do everything fun and the weather for the most part was pretty cooperative.  We got to fish, hike, spend a day on a boat seeing the glaciers, kayak, eat applesauce and pudding, swim, whale watch, etc. etc.  Lots of adventures were had!  He took most of the pictures because he has a nicer camera.

Kayaking with the humpback whales

Transporting one of the kayaks

Swimming in Glacier Bay....crazy cold water!

I did it too :)

After the cold plunge...freezing and ready to run home to get warm


Just a couple of days ago I was able to go out on the patrol boat with my favorite law enforcement rangers.  We were able to go out along the outer coast of Glacier Bay and it was absolutely beautiful!!  Dundas Bay is probably the most beautiful place I've been this summer.  After we saw the bay, we had a great time riding the HUGE ocean wave swells, bouncing up and down like we were on a Disneyland ride.  It was a great day at work.

A foggy day at Dundas Bay




Well, the clock is ticking and my time in Alaska is coming to a close.  I fly home on the 25th of this month and will be going right back to school on the 29th.  I can't wait to see every body!!